United States

China

Economics

Politics

U.S.-China Relations

In his July 16 address to the nation, U.S. President Donald Trump made dozens of references to alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 election, stating that China did not want him to win and that the U.S. deep state (the FBI, the CIA and White House staffers) colluded to keep Trump ignorant of China's malfeasance.

U.S., China: Despite Trump's Election Rhetoric, China Trade Summit To Proceed

Hong Kong SAR, China

The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on July 17 that Executive Order 13936, issued by President Donald Trump on July 14, 2020, had expired.

U.S., Hong Kong: Washington Scales Back Policy That Treats Hong Kong Like China

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Chinese artificial intelligence lab Moonshot AI on July 16 released its K3 model, which exceeds or nearly matches the capabilities of U.S. AI companies' most advanced publicly released AI models. 

China: Moonshot's K3 Matches Capabilities of Advanced U.S. AI Models

Kazakhstan

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping adopted a 2027-30 trade and economic program on the fringes of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference, or WAIC, in Shanghai, China, Akorda reported on July 16.

Kazakhstan, China: Shanghai Package Gives Chinese Companies a Larger Role in Digital Networks

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Travel restrictions to the Democratic Republic of the Congo linked to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country's northeastern region are disrupting critical minerals cooperation between the United States and Congo, Reuters reported on July 15, based on conversations with one diplomatic and two consulting sources.

Congo: Reuters Reports Ebola Outbreak Disrupting U.S.-Congo Mineral Cooperation, Dealmaking

Europe

Ukraine

Russia

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine and the European Union signed a deal to establish joint drone projects and expand production by combining Ukrainian battlefield expertise with European financing and industrial capacity, Reuters reported on July 15.

Ukraine, EU: Drone Deal Will Expand Production and Scale Combat-Tested Technology

North Korea

South Korea

The fourth-ranking official on China's Politburo Standing Committee, Wang Huning, will lead a Chinese Communist Party and government delegation to North Korea for an "official goodwill visit" from July 15-17, the South China Morning Post reported on July 14. 

China, North Korea: Wang Goes to Pyongyang, Marking Third Major Visit in Three Months

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology launched the Long March 10B rocket -- a space launch vehicle comparable to U.S. company SpaceX's Falcon 9 -- and recovered the first stage of the system using a giant net on a sea-based floating platform, Space reported on July 10.

China: China Successfully Recovers Orbital Booster for the First Time

Assessments

Iran

Myanmar

Philippines

United Kingdom

People pass a large banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump with a target on his head during funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leade, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 5 in Tehran, Iran.

U.S.-Iran Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, ASEAN and Major Power Foreign Ministers Meet

Australia

Fiji

New Zealand

Vanuatu

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Fiji Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services, Ro Filipe Tuisawau (right) shake hands during the opening of the Vuvale Skills hub in Suva on July 6, 2026.

Australia's new pacts with Fiji and Vanuatu will strengthen barriers to Chinese military access, but persistent regional development needs and China's ability to project power without local basing will still provide space for Beijing to build influence.

Australia's Pacific Pacts Strengthen, but Don't Secure, Its Strategic Position Against China

Columns

On Geopolitics

Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) and Premier Li Qiang attend a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People on March 9, 2026, in Beijing, China.

Social Issues

Beijing will prioritize employment and social stability over rapid economic growth in the coming years, pressuring businesses to boost hiring and expand benefits amid demographic pressures, rising youth unemployment and AI-related job disruptions.

China Plans To Stabilize Employment in an Age of Change

Computer chips are seen on top of the U.S. and Chinese flags.

The Trump administration's recent shift to a more restrictive, ad-hoc licensing regime for frontier AI models risks slowing U.S. innovation and giving Chinese rivals a competitive advantage.

From Laissez-Faire to Licensing: Understanding Trump's Evolving AI Strategy

Colombia

Venezuela

Abelardo de la Espriella, who has since been declared president-elect, waves to supporters after casting his vote during the runoff election on June 21, 2026, in Barranquilla, Colombia. 

Energy

De la Espriella's administration will reverse many of the outgoing government's security, economic and social policies, restoring a hard-line anti-crime approach and deepening ties with the United States.

What de la Espriella's Victory Means for Colombia

A digital illustration of Europe.

The EU's push to reduce its reliance on foreign technology suppliers risks angering both China and the U.S., while execution will be hindered by domestic industrial constraints and internal political divisions.

Key Takeaways From the EU's Tech Sovereignty Package

Peru

Israel

Lebanon

Armenia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

Media

Taiwan

Podcasts

How has U.S. grand strategy in the Pacific changed over time?

The Decision Advantage: Taiwan Arms Sales and the U.S.-China Trade War

Snapshots

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) gestures to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Sept. 3, 2025. 

North Korea's growing relations with Russia and potential reengagement with the U.S. appear to be driving China to pursue a rapprochement after years of diplomatic inaction.

Xi-Kim Summit Signals a Thaw in Long-Frozen Ties Between China and North Korea

Japan

India

(From left to right) Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hold a joint press conference after their Quad meeting in New Delhi on May 26, 2026.

The meeting proved the grouping is still functional, but it faces strong constraints in turning ambitious coordination frameworks into functional maritime, infrastructure, critical minerals and energy initiatives that blunt Chinese regional influence.

Takeaways From Quad Summit: New Initiatives, Enduring Constraints and Future Uncertainty

Mexico

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3, 2025, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

The Weekly Rundown: Elevated Tensions in the Middle East, Putin Heads to Beijing

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026.

Despite a mutual desire to stabilize relations, Xi and Trump's meetings produced few tangible results, sustaining the risk of future tariff escalations, export restrictions and other coercive measures.

Xi-Trump Talks Fail To Move the Needle on Major Issues

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., China: Despite Trump's Election Rhetoric, China Trade Summit To Proceed

U.S., Hong Kong: Washington Scales Back Policy That Treats Hong Kong Like China

China: Moonshot's K3 Matches Capabilities of Advanced U.S. AI Models

Kazakhstan, China: Shanghai Package Gives Chinese Companies a Larger Role in Digital Networks

Congo: Reuters Reports Ebola Outbreak Disrupting U.S.-Congo Mineral Cooperation, Dealmaking

Ukraine, EU: Drone Deal Will Expand Production and Scale Combat-Tested Technology

China, North Korea: Wang Goes to Pyongyang, Marking Third Major Visit in Three Months

China: China Successfully Recovers Orbital Booster for the First Time

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